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Media Ownership
Cablevision Closes In On Deal for Newsday
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:37amTribune Company is at the brink of a deal to sell its Long Island newspaper Newsday to Cablevision Systems Corp. for $650 million in a deal to that will help relieve Tribune's debt.
News Corp unexpectedly drops bid for Newsday
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:36amRupert Murdoch's News Corp on Saturday dropped its $580 million bid for Tribune Co's Newsday newspaper, just days after Murdoch said a deal was imminent, leaving cable television operator Cablevision as the likely winner of the Long Island daily.
Low Powers Seek $450M in DTV Aid
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:33amThe Community Broadcasters Association is asking Congress for $450 million to make the conversion to digital as soon as possible, saying that many in the industry face bankruptcy and potential ruin due to government policies.
Small TV stations lose appeal
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:33amThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has denied a request from owners of thousands of low-power television stations to force a ban on government-subsidized converter boxes that can't display their signals.
Localism’s National Consequences
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:30amA TV industry trying its best to keep up with nimble new-media competitors may have an expensive new albatross to deal with: the Federal Communications Commission’s series of proposals to promote localism.
Who stole six million viewers?
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:30amThis week, the television upfronts — in which the broadcast networks present their schedules to advertisers — will open with a mystery. Who stole six million viewers? That’s the number who were watching prime time television last May, a month affectionately known as “sweeps,” but have disappeared this year, according to the overnight Nielsen ratings.
Marketers Welcome Television’s Shift to a 52-Week Season
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:29amAfter the writers' strike was settled in February, television broadcasters resolved to rethink how the coming upfront week would proceed. The networks are ordering far fewer pilots, test episodes of new series that are expensive to produce.
XM-Sirius Still Concerns Attorneys General
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:28amStates attorneys general continued to register their concerns with the proposed XM Satellite Radio-Sirius Satellite Radio merger. The attorneys generals met with Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein this week to talk about the lack of an interoperable radio that would work with both services, as well as their general concern that "significant harms" would result from "the loss of a direct competitor."
Cowles Closes on Two California Duopolies
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:27amThe Cowles Publishing Co. has closed on its purchase of four TV stations -- two duopolies -- from Newport Television. The deal includes two full-power CBS affiliates -- KCOY Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Quarterly Reports Make Sobering Reading
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:26amWith economic hard times, broadcast groups are reporting disappointing first quarters almost across the board. And while there's still the expectation that the political ad bonanza will arrive later this year, broadcasters need to make good on their promises of new revenue streams if they hope to convince investors of their future.
